Divorce in the Black: Tyler Perry’s Trainwreck

Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black is, without a doubt, one of the most bewildering cinematic experiences of the year, one that feels more like an over-the-top soap opera parody than a serious drama. Meagan Good stars as Ava, a woman trying to reclaim her life after an implausibly toxic relationship, but even her best efforts can’t save this trainwreck of a film. The movie’s plot is a convoluted mess, packed with melodramatic twists, bizarre pacing, and dialogue that feels ripped from a rejected daytime drama script.

Let’s start with the writing; it’s clunky, overwrought, and utterly baffling. Characters deliver lines that don’t align with any sense of emotional logic or consistency, often oscillating between unintentional comedy and misplaced gravitas. Perry’s hallmark style of caricatured characters and outrageous scenarios is on full display here, but rather than feeling bold or risky, it borders on self-parody.

Meagan Good tries hard. You can see her attempting to bring authenticity and emotional depth to her role, but the material is simply too weak. Her efforts are undercut by a script that gives her little to work with beyond tearful monologues and scenes of escalating absurdity. The real scene-stealer, however, is Cory Hardrict as Dallas, Ava’s unhinged ex. Dallas is less of a character and more of a supervillain from an alternate Tyler Perry cinematic universe. His ability to appear anywhere at any time, deliver wild one-liners, and menace everyone around him is so over-the-top that it becomes hilarious.

Strangely, Divorce in the Black becomes entertaining through sheer ineptitude. The opening scene, for instance, is one of the most unintentionally funny moments you’ll witness in any recent film. It’s that rare gem of “so bad it’s good,” eliciting laughter through its dramatic overreach and its own lack of self-awareness.

There’s no real message here, just a chaos of loosely connected ideas, wild character behavior, and a final act that borders on fantasy. Still, despite all its flaws, Divorce in the Black is weirdly watchable, especially if you're in the mood for an unintentional comedy night with friends. Just don’t go in expecting a coherent story or believable characters.